Float away with Fashion156

Light Blue Suit by Martin Margiela available at Start.

The latest issue of the wonderful Fashion156 went live this morning and I've been marvelling at the editorial since then. As I wrote in the featured article the word 'ethereal' is infrequently associated with menswear. Traditionally, menswear has a long lineage of garments made from heavy fabrics and cloth and conjures up images of stiff and somewhat restrictive cuts. Designers such as Lanvin's Ossendrijver and YSL's Pilati are just two of many designers who are constantly experimenting with new combinations and techniques to create new light fabrics which are truly out of this world. As the sun shines this is the time to shed off those heavy, constrictive fabrics and adopt a welcome lightness and delicacy. The editorial celebrate this idea and despite the ominous dark grey clouds hovering above, I want to float away with these images...

Pink Suit Jacket by Samantha Edwards

The above two images are my favourites from the spread because they nail what I'd like to be wearing as soon as it gets a little warmer. I am longing for the sun to shine long enough to make my first trip to Hampstead Heath of the year armed with my new Canon to take a few shots but in the meantime I will gaze at this shoot.

Light Blue Jacket, White Shirt with Neck Tie, Light Blue Checked Trousers all by Lou Dalton

As in all of Guy and his teams' shoots there is a delightful mix of established names including Margiela and Marc Jacobs used side by side with exciting, young talent like Lou Dalton and recent graduates emerging on to the menswear scene including Edwards and Stavrou (which were both new names to me).

White Suit by Marc Jacobs, available at Liberty, Checked Vest by Lou Dalton

The Marc Jacobs white suit combined with the check vest demonstrates how relaxed and light modern tailoring can be. My only issue would be the constant fear of either sitting in or spilling something on myself which would bring me back down to reality.

Silver Fringed Jacket and Black Fringed Trousers both by Dimitri Stavrou.

The above image might be taking the theme a little to far but I've often been a little envious of Susie swooshing as she goes with fringed jackets and skirts, Stavrou made a splash at the LCF MA 2009 show and gave me a few ideas. Throughout his MA collection Stavrou worked with experimental fabrics such as carbon fibre to create a dark but daring collection which at the same time gave a sense of weightlessness.

As the grey, damp skies are (hopefully) replaced with warm, bright blue skies even the most familiar places feel out of this world so why not embrace and celebrate the change in season with ethereal ensembles such as the ones showcased here. We have been promised by the weathermen that temperatures will soar this Summer (I beleive that when I see it) so it makes sense for your sartorial choices to embrace light, layered fabrics where the components can all combine to create a look of almost insubstantiality. As Thomas Carlyse wrote, as impalpable or intangible as air; "figures light and aeriform come unlooked for and melt away. As summer fast approaches it is time for your clothes to float and melt away.